1. Field
This invention relates to golf games used for fun and to improve a person""s putting skills, and more particularly to portable golf games for improving putting accuracy.
2. State of the Art
My U.S. Pat. No. 3,584,877 discloses a portable Golf Game which comprises a putting mat simulating a golf green, having a putting end and an inclined scoring end. The scoring end includes an incline with an attached vertical stop wall, and a ball-receiving target hole, which is centrally located on the incline. An adjacent secondary scoring area printed on the putting mat includes scoring sub-areas worth various scores less than the target hole. The angle of the incline is such that some of the golf balls putted onto the incline which do not have enough momentum to reach the hole or which are putted off-line, roll off the incline onto the secondary scoring area.
The invention comprises a portable putting green for practicing putting using a putter, a golf ball, and a novel scoring method. The putting green comprises an elongate putting mat having respective putting and greens portions, with a main target hole in the greens portion to receive the golf ball. The putting green further comprises an inclined putting structure which includes a structure comprising a base, an inclined central ramp supported by the base, and an upstanding peripheral wall which extends around at least a portion of the central ramp to retain the golf ball on the putting structure. The central ramp includes a target hole recess, a downwardly inclined inner ball return channel having an inlet extending from the target hole recess and an outlet adjacent the front edge of one of the sides of the central ramp. A second inner ball-return channel of similar configuration extends from the target hole in the opposite direction another outlet adjacent the front edge of the central ramp.
The greens portion of the putting mat is mounted on the central ramp, with the main target hole located over the target hole recess, such that when the golf ball is struck in such a manner as to pass through the main target hole, the ball rolls into the ball return channel, and out onto the putting mat, with sufficient velocity to roll to a position adjacent the putting end of the mat.
The putting mat preferably includes two secondary target holes in the inclined greens portion. The secondary target holes have a different diameter, size, or shape than the main target hole to provide a different level of putting difficulty, each secondary target hole being disposed above a respective ball return channel. A back wall prevents golf balls from rolling off the rear edge of the central ramp into the outer ball return channel, and includes indicia indicating a scoring value for the main target hole and for each of the secondary target holes.
The back wall preferably is of a generally U-shape which extends completely around the sides and rear of the central ramp to restrain balls from rolling off the sides and rear of the putting structure. A downwardly inclined outer ball return channel is disposed between the central ramp and the back wall.
The degree of putting difficulty of the putting green is adjustable by means of a variable incline mechanism, and a variable lateral tilt mechanism. The incline mechanism supports the rear of the base structure in a raised position to further incline the central ramp.
The variable lateral tilt mechanism alternately supports a selected side of the base structure in a raised position to tilt the central ramp.
The method of simulating full course play on the portable putting green comprises the steps of: 1) placing the golf ball at a position along the putting portion of the putting mat, 2) striking the golf ball with the putter towards the main target hole, and 3) changing at least one of the parameters of the inclined putting structure after a predetermined number of putts to simulate playing different groups of nine or eighteen holes on a golf course.